Includes bibliographical references (pages 201-204) and index

Introduction : Why focus on small towns? ; Globalisation and small town development ; Liveability and sustainability -- Mobilising for change in a small town : Mobilisation against globalisation ; Local, organic, authentic, slow ; Networking toward sustainability -- Environmental sustainability : Sustainability conflicts ; Environmental problems in small towns ; The big picture: global and local action ; Sweden's Eko Kummun movement ; Land use and urban development ; Vigorous small town responses -- Inherited identities: built form and sense of place : The legacy of built form ; A cumulative legacy ; The social construction of place ; Affect and intersubjectivity -- Sustainability by design : Designs of liveability ; Street life: content, movement, and conviviality -- Sustainable economies : Economic challenges ; Chasing smokestacks or developing community? Alternative economic spaces ; Small business development ; Place economies -- Conviviality, hospitality, and local products : Conviviality ; Hospitality ; Local products -- Creativity and culture : Community-based art, culture, and creativity ; The creative class debate -- Equity: housing, work, and social well-being : Equity and social well-being ; The institutional infrastructure: partnerships, community ; Capacity, and community engagement -- Small town development in emerging countries : Small towns in China ; Challenges and problems of Chinese small towns ; Small towns in South Korea ; Lessons for small town development in emerging countries -- Conclusion : What works (and what doesn't) : Insights from emerging countries ; Will small towns make a difference? ; Critical success factors